Captivated
by SAL-Chan
Summary: His mind would wonder, no matter what the situation he was in. There was always something else distracting him and really, the only person who could ever completely captivate him was...


Tifa's feet were cold. 

Normally, Cloud wouldn't know something like that. Normally, Tifa's feet were on the ground - like his - and nowhere close enough to him where he could feel the temperature difference from the rest of her body and her feet.

But Tifa was curled up against him - her feet tucked under his leg - one hand snaked under his to reach at the popcorn. Marlene's head was resting peacefully against his other leg - she had to be asleep by now - and Denzel's head had fallen in front of the couch an hour ago. Cloud felt bad - leaving the kid leaning against the couch, asleep like that - but Tifa was warm and he was actually comfortable. For once, this felt like his home.

Tifa then tapped his arm, quickly, half a hand of popcorn in her mouth. "Clowud! Wat' ths parwt!"

Cloud felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward. Like he had been staring at the ground - or the ceiling - for the entire length of the movie and just needed to be told to watch. Tifa, despite being able to whoop almost everyone's (including himself, if he wasn't careful) ass, was still such a...well, girl.

She smelled like the shampoo they had in the bathroom. In fact, Cloud would bet that all four of them smelled the same - their small business had little, if any, jobs now - and no money. Tifa's bar was taking up most of the expenses, the cash they made just evening out the cost of running the place. Cloud's business wasn't doing too well either. Most of his clients were friends. Cloud didn't have the heart to charge them full price - something that Tifa chewed him out on whenever he returned home.

He had been denying jobs recently as well - instead, working alongside Tifa and Denzel (who had started to pull his own, without even being asked) at the bar. He didn't mind at all, really - no one came into the bar looking for him much anymore. He wasn't as popular with the locals as he had been a year ago - not with the older people anyway. The children were another story.

Tifa put her head on his shoulder - distracting him even more. The skin of her cheek was soft against his shoulder - her breath soft against his skin. The breath ghosted across his chest, down his arm - and Cloud wished he had a shirt on.

Marlene's hand tightened on his pants, nudging her cheek into his leg. The small girl pulled her nightgown closer to her and sighed, nuzzling more into Cloud. Carefully, while still trying to keep his eyes on the movie, he placed a hand on the center of her back. He closed his eyes, slowly, and listened to the other's breathing.

"Cloud?"

"Mmm?"

Tifa's lips were brushing against his skin - his forehead. When did it get so quiet?

"You fell asleep..."

The weight of Marlene was gone, and the feeling of Denzel nearby was gone too. The den was dark - Tifa's hand was careful where it touched his face, her thumb brushing over the scar above his eye. Her eyes were smiling, her lips pulled flat with effort.

Cloud lifted his head off of the back of the couch, blinking his eyes and shaking his head slightly. Tifa had tucked their quilt around him - when did she move? Cloud mumbled her name, and Tifa slowly slipped her hand into his hair. Cloud let his eyes close again as Tifa's lips touched his - softly, carefully - and sighed as she pulled away.

"Let's get you to bed, hero." She smiled, speaking softly, and Cloud reached up - the blanket falling away - and cupped her face in his hands.

They kissed again - softly once more - the only way they ever kissed. Tifa's hands found each other at the back of his head, rubbing in slow circles. Cloud hummed as Tifa chewed lightly on his lips, his hands holding her waist.

She was his, he knew. She had always been his. From the moment they met, Tifa had connected herself to Cloud's being - became something so close to him that he felt it when she was gone - like the loss of a limb. The only other person who had ever effected him like that was Aer-

"-_Don't_." Tifa's breath puffed over his lips. Both of her knees were digging onto his hips, holding on. She had both of her hands still in his hair - his hands, though, were on her hips, her legs, her back. Her eyes glowed in the dark, suddenly upset. She licked her lips, staring at his, and continued. "Don't think about her. Please."

Huh, she knew. Well, she always knew - and that's what made her amazing. She knew him better then he knew himself. She knew, too, that Cloud was too much of an airhead - a ditz - for him to focus on one thing so immediately. That his mind would wonder, no matter what the situation he was in. There was always something else distracting him - and really, the only person who could ever completely captivate him was...well, Tifa.

Completely captivated.

Cloud smiled, nothing more then a slight pull at the corners of his lips, and kissed her.


End file.
